Bicycle.



N0. 656,3", 4Patnd Allg. 2|, |900.

F. WEBER.

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` (Application led J'uly 27, 1899.)V

2 Sheets-Sheet |I4 I (No Model.)

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4 @13 l5 @Hom/w No. 656,3n. Patented Aug. 2|, |900.

F. wesen.

BICYCLE.

(Application iled July 27, 1899.]

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

lllllll-llllll el v z i UNITED `STATES i PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH WEBER, oF CLEVELAND, oI-IIo, AssIeNoE oF ONE-HALF To WILLIAM CREEDMAN, oF SAME PLAGE'.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patnt No. 656,311, dated. August 21, 190.

Application flied my 27, 1899.

To a/ZZ whom it 71mg/ concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRIEDRICH WEBER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycles; and I do hereby declare the following to be `a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as Will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bicycles, its object being toprovide a chainless wheel with changeable gear adj ustably supported, so as to bealso compensating for wear; and it consists in the novel arrange-` ment, construction, and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully described, and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l represents in side elevation my invention applied to an ordinary safety-bicycle, so much only of the frame being shown as is required to illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 isa side eleva-` tion of the adjust-able `bearing for the intermediate gear on a larger scale than Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a partial horizontal section on the line os @o of Fig. l, showing the construction of the rear fork and the arrangement of the gear and fork. Fig. 4 is a sectional detailof the intermediate gear D. Figs. 5`and 5 are detached details of one of the rollers f, arm e, and sleeve e2. Figs. 6 and 6 are details of the adjusting mechanism ofthe rear wheel. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail of the arm c and sleeve e2, showing means for preventing the rotation of the arm in thesleeve. i

In general terms, my invention consists in providing and substituting gear-Wheels for the usual sprocket-wheels of a chain-operated bicycle and interposing between them an intermediate gear Which meshes With both and is supported by adjustable bearings which may be adjusted to carry gears of ditferent sizes, thus enabling the so-called gear (or ratio of speed) to be changed, and also enabling all Wear of the gears to be compensated, and at the same time keeping the intermediate gear so far above the ground as to obviate all danger of itsstriking obstruc tions.

4Referring .to the drawings, A represents a Serial No. 725,236. (No model.)

portion ot' the frame of a common safety type of bicycle, and M its rear wheel.

B represents a gear-Wheel on the crankshaft operated by the pedals and occupying the place of the usual sprocket-Wheel on the main shaft of a chainwhee1.

C represents a gear on the axle ot the rear wheel M in the place of the usual rear sprocket-wheel.

D represents an intermediate gear meshing with both the wheels B and C and sup` ported on an adjustable bearing E, compris# ing a number of rollers f, carried by arms e, which are adjust-ably supported in sleeves e2, integral with or attixed to one of the rear forks ct of the frame A. Preferably the intermediate gearD is in the form of a ringgear, as shown, and has its teeth sunk between the flanges d d, (see Fig. 4,) or the lianges may be separately formed and secured to the gear. The rollersf are shouldered on their periphery, as best seen in Fig. 5, and engage the inner edge of the ring-gear, as shown in Fig. 2, or the roller may be grooved and tit upon the gear. Being thus enmeshed with the gears B and C and with the rollersf by the flanges shown, the gear D is prevented from lateral motion and rolls smoothly and easily on its supporting-rollers fff. "The rollers f are journaled with ballbearings on axles f2, carried by the arms e, .which arms are threaded and inserted into the sleeve e?, passing through nuts g, seated in the sleeves c2, after the manner common in monkey-wrenches, thearms e" being prevented from turning in the sleeves e2 by any of the `common means `used f or such puri poses-such, for instance, as forming a fiat side or groove I' on the bar e andinserting a pin or screw 7L through the sleeve e2, as shown i in Fig. 5.

A check-nut k on the bare serves to clamp the same rigidly at the desired extension.

By means of'` the construction above described the intermediate gear D is readily removed and replaced by another of a difterent size, thus changing the gear of the wheel. The check-nuts being slackened, the arms e can by means of the nuts g be drawn into the sleeves ezl The wheel M, with gear C, is then rem oved,wl1ich allows the gear D t-o be slipped IOO in general preferable to have the centers of' all the gears in line, the center of the intermediate gear may be set somewhat out of line with the others, if desired, Without any trouble from that Ltendency to lift or bind under strain or to be twisted by heavy strainV or lateral pressure, which most intermediate gears are subject to. Obviously the anges d d on gear D might be omitted and flanges on the gears B and C substituted, or With a sufficiently-rigid construction of the arms e, sleeves e2, and rollers f the latter might be relied on in place of flanges on the gear to keep the gears in line; but theconstruction shown I regard as preferable. Also it is evident that the arms e might be tubular and sleeved upon solid arms in the place of the sleeves e2, if preferred. The number of the arms e and rollers f may vary, as may also the manner of supporting the sleeves c2, which may be supported on the frame in any preferred manner; but I prefer the'arrangement shown, as involving the least change from the ordinary form of frame.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a bicycle having an intermediate gear meshing with gears on the pedal-crank shaft and on the rear-wheel axle, the combination of a hollow-armed spider upon the rear fork, adjusting-nuts seated in the spider-arms, threaded supporting arms seated in the spider-arms engaging the adj usting-nuts and having check-nuts thereon, flanged rollers supported on the ends of said supporting-` arms and engaging the inner periphery of the intermediate gear, whereby the latter is adjusted, laterally supported and kept in alinement, and can be interchangeably replaced by gears of dierent diameters, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the bent fork a, the spider E, arms e2, arms e, nuts g and 7c, rollv ers f, and gear D, in combination with the gears B and C of a bicycle, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDRICH WEBER.

Witnesses:

C. M. VoRoE, W. E. MoRRoW. 

